Rainbow Horses Mug

Rainbow Horses.  Original artwork by Julia Griffith.

This artwork grew from my love of horses, colour and lockdown.

Rather than painting them realistically, I wanted the horses to feel lively, free and full of movement, so I used strong rainbow colours and let the shapes carry the energy of the piece.

There is something about horses that naturally suggests freedom.  They can be powerful and elegant at the same time, and that was the feeling I wanted to capture here, not a formal portrait, but something brighter, looser and more joyful.

The rainbow colours completely change the mood.  They turn the horses into something playful and almost dreamlike, as though they belong in their own little world rather than ours.  Lockdown art therapy during times when we not allowed to be free, lively or full of movement.

A Note from the Artist:

Sometimes I paint because I have a very specific story to tell and sometimes I simply want to create something that makes me smile.

Rainbow Horses is one of those.

I wanted movement, colour and happiness so chose horses following none of the rules about what colour a horse is actually supposed to be.